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The decision by International Plywood to discontinue importing timber from Ta Ann Tasmania does not make environmental sense.
General Manager Corporate Relations and Tourism Ken Jeffreys said Tasmanian timber products represent a sustainable and renewable resource with stringent forest practice standards and certifications.
"If you were concerned about the planet, you would buy timber product from Tasmania, because we have the highest level of forest reservation anywhere in the world, and if you were going to buy plywood you would buy it from Ta Ann, because Ta Ann is using a raw material that would otherwise be exported as woodchips.
"Unlike the illegal logging practices taking place in other parts of the world, Tasmanian veneer produced by Ta Ann is PEFC certified and meets international standards.
"There can only be two reasons for International Plywood to make the decision it did - either it was misled by environmental activists or two, it felt threatened that unless it agreed to the activist demands, its business would be targeted.
"In my opinion, it's probably a combination of both - we have identified 50 factual errors in the Huon Valley Environment Centre propaganda and the inferred threat of further unwanted attention.
"The tactics of today's activists are reminiscent of the protection rackets of the 1930s where unless you did what the gangs wanted, your shop was torched. These days, unless you give activists everything they want, your products are blackballed. It might be legal, but it is immoral and unethical."
Mr Jeffreys said it was most disappointing that these tactics were still being used in the midst of an Intergovernmental process to bring peace to the forest issues in Tasmania.
"FT has worked tirelessly to cooperate and support the process taking place in Tasmania to find a peaceful solution to forestry issues and we continue to be deeply disappointed by the actions of environmental groups who refuse to respect the process and actively work outside of it.
"We have respected the process - clearly the activists haven't and won't."
ENDS
22 December 2011
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